STEM

William F. Tate, dean of the Graduate School at Washington University in St. Louis, has received the 2017 Inspiring Leaders in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Tate is also vice provost for graduate education and the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences.

Washington University in St. Louis is one of 24 schools selected to receive $1 million grants as part of a new HHMI initiative to help colleges and universities foster success in science for all students, especially undergraduates who enter four-year institutions via nontraditional pathways.

St. Louis’ leading employers, school districts and Washington University’s Institute for School Partnership have united to form STEMpact, an organization dedicated to improving improve science, technology, engineering and math education when it matters most — elementary school.

Members of Synapse, Washington University’s neuroscience club, are helping local high school students prepare for the annual St. Louis Area Brain Bee, Saturday, Feb. 13, at McDonnell Hall. “The Brain Bee is a competition but it’s not about being competitive. It’s about getting more people excited about this fast-growing field,” says junior Smruti Rath.

The list of authors for an article on the comparative genomics of a fruit fly chromosome, published online May 11 by the journal G3, includes 940 undergraduates from 63 institutions. It is the result of an effort, coordinated through Washington University in St. Louis, to provide many more students with a hands-on research experience than has traditionally been possible.

Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert, PhD, of the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, recently graduated from Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering (ELATE) at Drexel University, a professional development program for women in academic STEM fields.

The inaugural Health and Engineeering Careers Summer Camp took place in late July at West Side Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. Numerous Washington University in St. Louis groups co-sponsored the event, which aimed to encourage underrepresented children to focus on science and math subjects. Here, 10-year-old Deja Stallworth proudly shows off the robot she made.

Washington University in St. Louis’ Teaching Center brought together faculty from Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering & Applied Science for the inaugural Summer STEM Faculty Institute on Teaching (STEM FIT), held June 17-19 in Seigle Hall. Faculty developed strategies for incorporating evidence-based teaching practices to improve student learning and encourage undergraduates to persist in STEM majors.

The ninth annual YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition has announced the year’s winners and its $155,000 in awards. Winning teams represented community and Washington University in St. Louis social entrepreneurs. Their social venture ideas ranged widely, covering youth, teens, education, science
and more.